Manifolding sales or order book.



UNITED STATES RELA GARDNER MERRILLLQF.,QAKPARK, ILLINOIS.

IVIANIFOLDING SALES OR ORD-R IBOOKF SPECIFCATION-formng part of Letters Patent No. 706,769`,fdated August'12, 1902. Application Bled October 19,1901. Serial No. 79,241. (No model.)

To all wwntlt mag/concern:

Be it knownl thatl, BELA GARDNER MER- RILL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Oakpark, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a newand useful Manifolding Salesor-Order Book, of which the following is a specification. p

My present invention relates to an improvement in manifolding sales or order books of that class which are equipped with-a carbon arranged to be inserted between the leaves of the book in order to make a duplicate record of an order or sale, as the case may be, the original copy being generally delivered to the purchaser or person giving the order and the duplicate retained as a memorandum by the salesman or other user of thebook. In preferred forms of such manifolding salesbooks the carbon element or sheet is retained by a carbon-carrier pivotally mounted-as, for instance, on the backof thebook and capable of being swung away from the used leaves in order that another duplicate record-- sheet may be drawn under the carbon preparatory to the filling outof another sales or order slip.

The invention relates more particularly to a novel carbon carrier and clamp involving an exceedingly simple, inexpensive, and durable construction, insuring secure retention of the carbon-sheet in such close contact with the sheet to be writtennpon thatr the entry may be made quite close to the carbon holder or clamp without liability of tearing the carbon-sheet, as in the usual constructions.

The invention also has for its object to pro! vide the carbon-carrier with a clamp which will facilitate the attachment of the carbonsheet thereto orA its detachment therefrom, said clamp snapping to its closed position by light pressure of the fingers and-being easily opened by the insertion of a pencil-point between the clamping-members.`

For the accomplishment of these enumerated objects and others subordinate thereto, all as will hereinafter more fully appear, the invention comprehends in its preferred embodiment that construction and arrangement of parts to be described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and succinctly defined in the appended claims.

In said drawings, Figure lis a perspective view of my device priorto turningthe original sales or order slip down upon the carbon. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective View of the car- Vbon carrier and clamp-detached and showing the carbon retained thereby. Fig. S'isa detail sectional View illustratingthe manner in which the carbon is retained and clamped iiat against the subjoined sheet. Fig. 4 is a detail View illustrating the manner of opening or releasing the clamp by means of a pencilpoint.

` Like numerals are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. y l

Referring to said numerals, l indicates the, back of a sales or order book, 2 and. Sth" original and duplicate record-sheets, respectively, retained upon the back l in any suitable manner, and 4 indicates the carbon element or sheet, imposed upon a duplicate record-sheet by a carbon-carrier 5. In the present instance the carbon-carrier 5 has the form of an open-sided frame, preferably constructed of Wire and pivoted to the back of the book at a point intermediate of the ends thereof. The manner of mounting this frame constitutes no part of the present invention, and it is sufficient, therefore, .to state that the frame constituting the carbon-carrier is `arranged to swing toward and from the leaves imposed upon the back of the book, so that the carbon will be retained flat against a duplicate record sheet4 3 or will be removed therefrom in order to permit a succeeding duplicate record-sheet to be drawn down under the carbon after an entry'has been effected, it being understood that in the use of a book constructed in the manner described the orders are taken from the back toward the front, so that the duplicate record-sheets are successively drawn down under the carrier by the manipulation of a pencil after each successive sale and its corresponding entry hasbe'en made.

The carbon-carrier 5 is of angular formthat is to say, `the wire from which it is` constructed is bent to form a swinging supporting-arm 6, located at one side of the back, and a transverse arm 7, extending laterally from the free end of the arm 6 and designed normally to lie upon a duplicate record-sheet closely adjacent to its upper or xed edge.

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The carrier proper orthe carrier-frame will therefore be seen to comprise a pair of angularly-related arms formed from a single piece of wire, and it may be here remarked that the entire device Vcomprehended by the present invention is composed of this and one other piece or part cooperatively connected to the carbon-carrier without separate joining devices or instrumentalities of any kind.

The part referred to is a sheet-metal clamping member 8,longitudinally coextensive with the transverse arm 7-of the carbon carrier or frame 5 and formed with an integral sleeve 9, disposed at right angles to the body portion of the member or clamp and encircling the arm or support 6. The clamp 8 is stamped from a single piece of metal in a manner to impart thereto a longitudinal concavity or substantially inverted-U shape,v so that the clamp fits over and receives the transverse frame-arm 7, which is thus made to constitute one member of the carbon-clamping device. Adjacent to its outer or free end-that is to say, opposite the sleeve 9-the member 8 is provided with integral spring-clips 10, which grip the arm 7 to retain the arm and v the clamping member 8 securely together for the purpose of rigidly retaining the upper edge of the carbon-sheet 4, which, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, is interposed between the members of the clamp prior to the snapping thereof into closed `or clamped relation. v

For conveniently electing the unclamping or separation of the clamping members to release the carbon an outward bend ll is imparted to the outer end of the member 8, and the adjacent extremity ot' the arm 7 is oppositely beveled, as indicated at 12, in order that the carbon may be released by inserting a pencil-point between the beveled and deecting ends of the clamping members and exerting sufcient longitudinal pressure upon the pencil to eect the release of the clips 10. Usually in devices of this character the end of the carbon element or sheet 4 retained by the clampis held slightly away from the surface of the subjoined sheet, with the result that the carbon is torn or mutilated when an attempt is made to write close to the clampthat is to say, the carbon at this point being unsupported the pressure exerted upon the pencil in writing will cause the pencil-point to penetrate the original sheet and carbon and besides effecting the mutilation referred to interferes materially with the proper transfer of the record. It is to avoid this difticulty and to cause the carbon to lie [iat against the subjoined page that the clamping member 8 is formed to fit over and around the arm 7, as this relation ofthe parts will bring the lower edges of the clamp substantially in the plane of the sheet upon which the carrier rests, and the carbon will therefore of necessity be imposed directly upon the duplicate record-sheet 3 even at a point immediately adjacent to the clamp. In order, however, to more surely facilitate this vcompletely-supported condition of the carbon, one longitudinal edge of the member 8 is formed with a clamping flange or lip 13, which is more or less resilient and serves to effectually clamp the carbon in place, so that the record or entry may be started as close to the clamp as is desired without danger of mutilating either of the several sheets subjectedto the pressure of the pencil.

In manipulating the device the clamp is opened by the insertion of a pencil-point into the outer end thereof, and the edge of a carbon-sheet is laid upon the arm 7. The clamping member 8 is then brought down until the clips l0 engage the arm 7, when, as will be evident, the carbon willbe rigidly retained by the clamp and will be removable toward or from the subjacent leaves of the book by the swinging of the carbon-carrier 5. As this carrier or frame is entirely open at one side it is evident that by slightly elevating the carrier away from the subjacent sheet a succeeding duplicate record-sheet may be drawn down under the carbon by the manipulation of a lead-pencil in a manner understood to the art.

In conclusion it may be pointed out that my invention comprehends in one aspect thereof a carbon-carrier constructed in a single piece and a clamping member mounted thereon to retain the edge of a carbon-sheet, and in ananother aspect it comprehends a carbon-car- ,rier comprising a swinging support and a transverse arm, the latter beingdisposed for cooperation with the clamping member mounted on the support, and that in a still further aspect the invent-ion comprehends the equipment of a duplicating sales or order book with a carbon-carrier' constructed from a single piece of wire bent in angular form to define a swinging su pporting-arm and a transverse arm designed to extend across a page, in combination with a clamping member pivotally mounted upon the swinging arm and arranged to cooperate with the transverse arm to clamp the carbon sheet or element thereon. Therefore, While the illustrated embodiment of the invention is believed at this time to be preferable, I desire to be distinctly understood as reserving to myself the right 'to effect such changes,l modifications, and variations thereof as may be suggested by experience and experiment, provided only that such changes are properly comprehended within the scope of the protection prayed.

What I claim isl. In a device of the character described, the combination witha support, of a carboncarrier frame consisting of a singlepiece of wire bent to form a pair of angularly-related arms, andaclamping member formed in a single piece of metal bent around one of said arms to form a hinged connection therewith, said clamping member being disposed longitudinally over the other arm to clamp a carbon-sheet thereon, and a clip for retaining the clamping member in its cl'osed position.

2. In a device of the character described,

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the combination with a support, of a carboncarrier frame consisting of a single piece of wire bent to form a pair of angnlarly-related arms, and a clamping member consisting of a single piece of metal bent to form a sleeve encircling one arm of the frame to effect a hinged connection therewith, said clamping member being disposed over the other arm to clamp a carbon-sheet thereon, and having spring-clips engaging said lastnamed arm to hold the clamp closed.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a support, of a carboncarrier frame consisting of a single piece of wire bent to form a pair of angularly-related arms, and a clamping member consisting of a single piece of metal bent to form a longitudinal concavity for the reception of one arm,and also to form a pair of spring-clips engaging said arm to retain the clamping member in its closed position, and a sleeve integral with the clamping member and encircling an arm to form ahinged connection therewith, the end of the clamping member opposite the sleeve being bent outward to form an opening for the reception of a pencil-point or the like for the purpose of opening the clamp.

4:. In a device of the character described, the combination with a support for a series of leaves, of a carbon-carrier comprehending a transverse arm extended across a leaf, a hinged clamping member disposed over said arm and having a longitudinal concavity for the reception thereof, spring-clips carried by the clamp and engaging the arm to hold the clamp closed, and a clamping lipor iiange extending longitudinally along one side of the clamping member in aplane below the upper surface of the arm to clamp the carbon-sheet flat against its support at a point adjacent to the clamp.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination with a carbon-carrier coniprising a rounded arm having a beveled end, of a clamping member having a longitudinal concavity for the reception of the arm and having its end bent outward and opposed to the oppositely-inclined or beveled end of the arm to provide an opening for the reception of a pencil-point or the like.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination with a support, of a carboncarrier frame consisting of a single piece of wire bent to form a pair of angularly-related arms, and a transversely U-shaped clamping member having an integral portion thereof engaging one of said arms to form a hinged connection therewith, said clamping member being disposed longitudinally over and embracing the other of said arms to clamp a carbon-sheet thereon.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination with a support for a series of leaves, of a carbon-carrier comprehending an arm extending across the support to sustain one end of a carbon-sheet, and a clamping member engaging said arm to retain the carbon-sheet and having means disposed to clamp the carbon-sheet iiat against a subjacent leaf.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination with a support, of a carboncarrier frame consisting of a single piece of wire bent to form a pair of angularly-related arms, and a clamping member consisting of a single piece of metal bent to form a longitudinal concavity for the reception of one arm, and also to form a pair of spring-clips engaging said arm to retain the clamping member in its closed position, and a sleeve integral with the clamping member and encircling an arm to form a hinged connection therewith.

9. In a device of the character described, the combination with a support for a series of leaves, of a carboncarrier comprehending a transverse arm extended across a leaf, `a hinged clamping member disposed over said arm and having a longitudinal concavity for the reception thereof, and a clamping lip or iiange extending longitudinally along one side of the clamping member in a plane below the upper surface of the arm to clamp the carbon-sheet against its support at a point adjacent to the clamp.

10. In a device of the character described, the combination witha support, of a carboncarrier frame consisting of a single piece 0f wire bent to form a pair of angularly-related arms, and a transversely U -shaped clamping member having an integralpart thereof surrounding one of said arms to form a hinged connection therewith, said clamping member being disposed longitudinally over and. embracing another of said arms to clamp a carbon-sheet'thereon, the extremity of said last# named arm being inclined and the adjacent extremity of the clamping member being bent outward to define an opening for the recepn tion of a pencil-point or the like.

1l. In a device of the character described, the combination with a support, anda series of leaves, of a carbon-carrier comprehending a transverse arm, a clamping member disposed over said arm to retain one end of a carbon-sheet, and a clamping lip or ange `extending longitudinally along one side of the clamping member in a plane below the upper surface of the arm to clamp the carbon sheet against its support at a point adjacent to the clamp. In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

BELA GARDNER MERRILL. Witnesses:

V FRED R. JOHNS,

R.. Ln Rev Sins.

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